A large-scale tsunami response exercise will take place in the Caribbean on 25 March. The purpose of this exercise is to test the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions, established in 2005 under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO). It is designed to evaluate the response capacity of Caribbean countries and adjacent regions* in the event of a dangerous tsunami.
The organizers** of the test have prepared two scenarii.

The level of participation in the tsunami warning exercise that took place on 26 March in the Caribbean was unprecedented, compared with similar exercises in 2011 and 2013. Organized under the auspices of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), it reflects the commitment of the countries concerned and a growing awareness of the tsunami threat in the region.

To date, ten countries and territories in the Region of the Americas have recorded autochthonous cases of chikungunya infection: Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin (French), Sint Maarten (Dutch) and Saint Kitts and Nevis. In addition, an imported case has been recorded in Aruba. See figure below.

With the confirmation of cases of autochthonous transmission in French Guyana, chikungunya virus has now been recorded in South America.

Since the first report received by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) / World Health Organization (WHO) of autochthonous transmission of chikungunya infection on 6 December 2013, there are now six territories in the Region of the Americas, in the Caribbean, that have notified cases; these are the British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin (French) and Sint Maarten (Dutch). See figure below.

ROSEAU, Dominica, Jan 20 2014 (IPS) - Caribbean countries, struggling to emerge from a slump in exports and falling tourist arrivals brought on by the worldwide economic crisis that began five years ago, have one more thing to worry about in 2014.

Dominica’s chief medical officer, Dr. David John, said climate change and its effects are taking a toll on the health of people in his homeland and elsewhere in the region.